North Huntingdon Police Officers Will No Longer Deliver Mail To Homes Of Township Commissioners

NORTH HUNTINGDON, Pa. (KDKA) -- North Huntingdon police will no longer have to deliver mail to township commissioners' homes.

Township leaders and law enforcement said officers have better things to do.

"I was sworn in the first week of 2020, and I was kind of shocked when a North Huntingdon police officer delivered my mail," said North Huntingdon Township Commissioner Ron Zona.

The practice of delivering the mail that arrives at the township's administrative building is decades old. Every Friday, an officer is tasked with mobile mail call.

"They're more demands on officers every day and delivering mail is on the bottom of the totem pole and never should be done," Zona said.

In addition to being a township commissioner, Zona spent 31 years as a state trooper.

"A serious incident could happen at any moment as we saw here several days ago," Zona said.

Zona is speaking about the capture of accused double-murderer Victor Steban along Route 30 earlier this week. Zona said what if mail delivery would have left fellow officers short-handed on the call?

Zona added that for commissioners, driving to grab their mail is no big deal.

"I'd venture to say all the commissioners live within five miles of the townhouse," he said.

Zona and fellow commissioners voted unanimously to end the practice immediately. For Zona, it comes down to this: would you ask a mail carrier to do a police officer's job?

Finally, while he's not trying to meddle in other townships' businesses, Zona said other municipalities with the same policy should follow North Huntingdon's lead.

"We need to put them where they're needed most," Zona said.